IONIA COUNTY — A color scheme inspired by nature and original art will decorate the interior of all 60 of Life EMS's ambulances across west Michigan, including in Ionia County, and make a typically stressful situation less so.

The new patient-friendly concept in emergency transport vehicles was unveiled Nov. 29 at the American Ambulance Association's 2012 Trade Show and Conference in Las Vegas, Nev.

The design will create an environment that will help reduce stress "during what might be one of the most stressful experiences in their lives," said Mark Meijer, president of Life EMS Ambulance. "This is not your standard ambulance interior; this vehicle is a radical departure from the norm and begins to look at how we can use today's technology to create a totally new patient experience."

The new interior includes soft colors of lavender, blue and burgundy; original artwork; ambient lighting and recessed lights – an alternative to the industry norm of plain-colored walls and sterile-looking interiors.

Life EMS Ambulance hired Kalamazoo-based SKP Design to create a more soothing and relaxing environment for patients. The firm developed an art and color scheme that was inspired by nature, and included original artwork from Conrad Kaufman, a Kalamazoo artist.

"Studies show that art, particularly that depicting nature, has a positive influence on patient outcomes," said Sondra Phillips, principal and owner of SKP Design. "From the patient's perspective, the art work gives them something to focus on to help them relax in what probably is a stressful situation."

The basic look to ambulances hasn't changed in 30 years, said Jani Millard, Life EMS director of operations for Ionia County.

"You've seen one, you seen them all. Other than enhancements with technology and gadgets to help with treatment, the design has been pretty stagnant," Millard said. "This is a huge change, and we're just very excited about this one."

Not all calls for an ambulance are crisis calls, and conscious patients need to feel secure and have confidence in the people and the atmosphere in the ambulance, she said.

"The psyche of the patient is important in the overall care plan," said Millard. "(The new design) is really a step outside the box of what the norm has been, which is all about business. It's a good combination of functionality and still providing elements that will help patients relax and feel less stressed."

Life EMS Ambulance teamed up with American Emergency Vehicles (AEV), the nation's top ambulance manufacturer, at the onset of the vehicle's design to reshape not only how equipment is accessed and how emergency personnel work in the space, but how the compact environment affects the patient.

The new design comes on the heels of Life EMS Ambulance's recent introduction of a safety concept vehicle with changes in how paramedics interact with patients during emergency transport. Those design elements included forward facing sets for medical personnel, a five-point restraining system, surfaces with rounded and padded corners and other features.

Page 2 of 2 - "It was put together with the help of the paramedics who work in it. This is taking it to the next level," said Millard. "What we're hoping is this will be our future, going-forward vehicle. Anything new that is ordered will look like this."

Life EMS Ambulance plans to use this design platform to eventually replace its 60-ambulance fleet, but Millard doesn't anticipate getting one of the new vehicles any time soon. One reason is the custom design.

"You can't just trade out the fleet. It takes time to produce, so you can't go to the lot and pick one out like you can with a car," Millard said. "I don't think we'll see one here in 2013."

Another reason for the delay is the vehicles are on a schedule for repair, preventative maintenance and replacement every five years, on average. The vehicles are maintained – very well – until they are ready to be retired and replaced with a new one.

Finally, both the chassis and the patient compartment will be part of the transition, so both must work the way they are supposed to, Millard said.

"Ford discontinued the (current) chassis style. The new vehicle is on a Mercedes chassis," she said. "It sounds ritzy, but when you talk to people in trucking and transportation, more people are going to that because of the quality in the design."

If the Mercedes chassis doesn't pan out over the testing phases, Life EMS will keep searching until the right element is found.

"It's about the quality, and we are looking for and continuously striving for that," she said.

Life EMS Ambulance serves more than 3,500 square miles of West Michigan, including Ionia, Grand Rapids/Kent, Portage/Kalamazoo, Ottawa, Newaygo, Lake, Mason and Allegan counties.